Golf ball covers are routinely marked with various surface indicia, such as the manufacturer's logo and trademark. Also indicia includes the play number, which allows golfers using the same type of golf ball to distinguish one player's ball from that of another. Additional symbols that may also be applied to golf balls include custom figures for promotional purposes, as well as specific marks reflecting manufacturing information. These indicia are generally printed to a painted surface of the golf ball.
Various techniques are used in the stamping of indicia on golf balls. Some of the methods include: direct printing to the ball using a pad; and, hot stamp techniques such as where a transfer foil sheet is used in conjunction with a film and a metal tool. In the later the indicia is transferred from the foil which is prepared with an ink composition, and then a metal tool transfers the indicia from the foil to the film which then hot stamps the indicia on the ball surface. The golf ball is then painted to enhance durability and improve the appearance thereof.
To some golfers, the location of the golf ball's equator is an important consideration, and they rely on the indicia placement to determine this equator position. To insure that the printing of indicia is uniformly correct on all golf balls of a particular type, manufacturers have designed equipment that automatically places a ball into the holding mold with the correct orientation. This requires a certain amount of ball rotation (or spinning), and to facilitate this spinning movement, a lubricant is generally used. The lubrication that has generally been used is petrolatum, which is semi-solid at room temperature and requires heating prior to use. One problem with petrolatum is that it is difficult to accurately dispense, so as to provide uniform coverage over the ball surface. Incomplete lubrication will cause incorrect ball positioning and therefore incorrect stamping of indicia, which will result in excessive rejects. Too much lubrication will present a serious problem at the next process stage, that being the application of a finishing coat (a clear topcoat). An excess of petrolatum remaining on the golf ball may inherently cause “beading” of the clear topcoat and again possible ball rejections. This is due primarily to the incompatibility of petrolatum and solvent based topcoat paints.
It is a long felt need in the industry for a lubricant that provides for proper orientation in the holding mold and is also a compatibility with the solvent-based topcoats.